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Archive December 2024
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USAging Cheers Senate OAA Passage, Calls for Advocacy on House Passage!
- By: USAging
- On: 12/13/2024 15:24:58
- In: Policy & Advocacy
In a December 11 statement on the Senate passage of S. 4776, USAging CEO Sandy Markwood said: “On behalf of our national network of local aging agencies serving millions of older adults and caregivers across the country, USAging celebrates the Senate passage of the Older Americans Act (OAA) Reauthorization Act of 2024 (S. 4776) on December 10. We thank Senate HELP Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders and Ranking Member Bill Cassidy, as well as Senate Aging Committee Chairman Bob Casey and Ranking Member Mike Braun, for their leadership in moving OAA reauthorization this year. This bipartisan bill represents a year’s worth of work to update an essential landmark law that creates options and opportunities for older adults to age with health, well-being and independence in their homes and communities. It is critical that OAA reauthorization legislation—which stands as our national commitment to support for aging well at home—is completed this month, and we call on the House of Representatives to move swiftly to advance a final bill before closing out the 118th Congress.”
To ensure the bill makes it across the finish line, we need your loudest and strongest advocacy NOW! Click here to access our most recent Advocacy Alert which includes a template email for you to use to contact your Representative of any clients your agency serves.
If you have any questions, please contact your policy team at policy@usaging.org.
Use These Tools to Raise Awareness About Kin Caregivers
- By: USAging
- On: 12/06/2024 11:32:28
- In: Program Update
The historic 2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers (including kin caregivers) calls on stakeholders to raise awareness about the strengths and challenges of kin caregivers and their families (often called kinship or grandfamilies). Doing so benefits both kinship/grandfamilies and the providers who support them. Educating the public alerts kinship/grandfamilies to the availability of services and alerts the community to the need for services. It also helps people self-identify as kin caregivers, reduces social isolation, increases service utilization, unites partners and can persuade funders and policy makers to take action.
No-cost tools from the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network: A National Technical Assistance Center can help stakeholders with their education campaigns. Grandfamilies 101 (available in English and Spanish) provides almost everything needed to host a 90-minute workshop to introduce professionals to the strengths and challenges of kinship/grandfamilies, including a lesson plan, slide deck and resources. Distribute this two-page fact sheet at meetings and conferences. Include this one-minute video in your presentations. Need more help? Request no-cost technical assistance here.
No-cost tools from the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network: A National Technical Assistance Center can help stakeholders with their education campaigns. Grandfamilies 101 (available in English and Spanish) provides almost everything needed to host a 90-minute workshop to introduce professionals to the strengths and challenges of kinship/grandfamilies, including a lesson plan, slide deck and resources. Distribute this two-page fact sheet at meetings and conferences. Include this one-minute video in your presentations. Need more help? Request no-cost technical assistance here.
Improved Access to Repair/Rehab Funding for Rural Homeowners
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) launched a new pilot program in 23 states, American Samoa and Puerto Rico to make it easier for rural homeowners to repair and rehabilitate their homes. Now applicants for USDA’s Single Family Housing Home Repair Loans and Grants in these states/territories may use program funding to pay contractors or suppliers for construction materials prior to delivery.
This and other changes to remove regulatory barriers will enable homeowners, including people in areas affected by Presidentially Declared Disasters and those living in Rural Partners Network communities, to access the funding they need more quickly so they can rebuild or repair their homes faster.
This and other changes to remove regulatory barriers will enable homeowners, including people in areas affected by Presidentially Declared Disasters and those living in Rural Partners Network communities, to access the funding they need more quickly so they can rebuild or repair their homes faster.